Do the Clothes Really Make the Man?

I am not a formal person. My idea of a perfect evening does not include going anywhere that would require me to get dressed up. My personal preference would be shorts (or jeans) and a t-shirt for almost any occasion. That does not mean that I would show up at a funeral or wedding dressed like that, but I sure do wish we could.

Like most people my age or older, we were taught that you should put on your very best for Sundays to honor God. I seriously doubted that most people had God in mind when they picked out their clothes for Sunday worship. I always believed that people were dressing nice to impress others. So dressing up for church actually seemed more like a vanity thing to me.

I am sure some people were genuine in their desire to present their best for God and I do believe that we should not bring God our junk. I am constantly amazed at how often the same people who think we should dress up for church want to donate their old furniture to the church. What happened to presenting your best to God? They should keep their old furniture and buy the new stuff for the church.

What does scripture say about our clothes? Surprisingly nothing, however, Psalm 51 does teach us that image is not what is important to God. He looks to your heart.

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:16-17 (NIV)

If clothes really do make the man, then I guess I am a comfortable, casual person with no desire to impress anyone but my God. My youngest son sums up my feelings concerning dressing for worship when he asked me one day, “Dad, why do we have to get dressed up for church when we sing ‘Come Just As You Are’?”

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